Liquid applicators of the type under consideration are generally used for storing and dispensing nail polish and the like. Conventional applicators are usually in the form of a bottle having a cap. A brush depends from the underside of the cap such that the brush extends into the bottled polish when the cap is in place. Although the cap seals the bottle from the atmosphere, it has been widely observed that the volatile fraction of the polish evaporates over time, whereupon the polish becomes useless. Also, while immersion of the brush in the polish during nonuse preserves the brush, after repeated use some nail polish does dry on the brush and ultimately renders it unsuitable for continued use unless thoroughly cleaned.
Numerous arrangements have been suggested to overcome the above-mentioned disadvantages of the conventional prior art arrangement. A common feature of most is more effective sealing of the liquid reservoir from the atmosphere even during use, and retraction of the brush into the reservoir during periods of nonuse. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,044,996 issued to Cuthbertson, U.S. Pat. No. 2,547,287 issued to Sanders et al and U.S. Pat. No. 3,035,299 issued to Gordon et al disclose brush-type liquid applicators wherein a piston cylinder arrangement is employed for dispensing liquid to the brush and for moving the brush out of the reservoir where it is retained during nonuse. U.S. Pat. No. 2,630,593 isued to Jockers, U.S. Pat. No. 2,872,694 issued to Hopkins disclose brush-type applicators wherein dispensing of the liquid and movement of the brush out of the reservoir are gravity activated. U. S. Pat. No. 2,945,252 issued to Martineau, U.S. Pat. No. 3,341,884 issued to Pryor and U.S. Pat. No. 3,565,540 issued to Andrews disclose applicators which employ a compressible reservoir for dispensing liquid to the brush.
Regardless of the improved effectiveness of the above-mentioned prior art devices in preventing exposure of the reservoir to the atmosphere and in avoiding drying of the dispensed liquid on the brush, it will be apparent that inasmuch as the reservoir must be exposed to the atmosphere during use, and inasmuch as all are intended for repeated use, such devices cannot entirely overcome these problems.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a nail polish applicator which completely and effectively seals the dispensed liquid from the atmosphere until used, and once used may be discarded.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a device of the character mentioned which is sufficiently inexpensive to justify disposal after a single use.